Seared Sea Scallops with Asparagus, Morels and Aged Balsamic Brown Butter

By: Chef Michael Leviton

Ingredients

4 jumbo sea scallops (about 12 ounces total)
6 stalks jumbo asparagus - peeled from 1" beneath the tip to the base
3/4 pound morel mushrooms - remove stems, remove any excess dirt & water
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
9 ounces butter
3/4 ounces lemon juice (1 1/2 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 bunch parsley
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 large cloves of garlic

Directions

for gremolata:

Finely chop the parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Combine all of these ingredients and mix well.

for brown butter:

Place 4 ounces of butter in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to separate and the solids begin to turn light brown in color. Remove from heat. Carefully add the lemon juice and stand back. Reserve.

for asparagus:

Heat an oven to 500º. In a small saucepan melt 4 ounces of butter. Slice the asparagus spears on the bias in to pieces about 1 1/2" long. The bottom 1 - 1 1/2" should not be used. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the asparagus on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

for morels:

Remove excess dirt by rinsing the morels 5 times with water. Let the morels dry by laying them on a sheet pan lined with damp towels. Cut the morels into halves or quarters lengthwise, depending on size. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the morels on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper (both sides). When the pan begins to smoke, add the canola oil and then the scallops. After about 30 seconds, carefully rotate the scallops 90º. This will give them a better, more even sear. Cook for another minute or so. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Flip the scallops over and cook for another minute or two until they are nicely seared. Remove from the pan.
Meanwhile, heat another sauté pan over high heat. Add the last 1 tablespoon of butter and then the asparagus and morels. Cook until the vegetables are hot and then add 1 tablespoon of gremolata and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Divide the mushrooms and asparagus into 4 piles and place one in the center of each of 4 plates. Top with a scallop. Drizzle a little of the brown butter around the mounds and then drizzle some of the aged balsamic vinegar onto the brown butter. Enjoy.